[NEC and Matsushita reportedly want to use their joint venture to promote WCDMA as the leading standard in the Chinese market.]

Tokyo -- "Japan's NEC Corp and Matsushita Communication Industrial Co said on Wednesday they are considering developing third-generation (3G) mobile phone handsets in China together.

"A spokeswoman at NEC declined to elaborate, but said: "It is generally said that China will roll out 3G services in or after 2003... We have to take that timing into consideration."

"Japanese financial daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on Wednesday that NEC and Matsushita Communication would launch a joint venture this year in an aim to popularize 3G cell phones in China, help set a Chinese standard for 3G services, and grab a bigger share of the world's largest mobile phone handset market.

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